Armored Core 2 Cheats & Cheat Codes for PlayStation 2

The second mainline entry in the franchise and the first for the PlayStation 2, Armored Core 2 is FromSoftware’s third-person mech-action game from 2000. Like the first Armored Core, AC2 would end up being one of the North American launch window titles for the PS2, earning a place in many players’ game libraries as one of the few third-person action games available. While the first game in the series would receive publishing from Sony as a first-party title, AC2‘s publishing would end up being handled by FromSoftware in Japan and by Agetec in North America.

Much of the core gameplay of the series remains intact in AC2, with the biggest improvement coming courtesy of the PS2’s hardware. Many of the critical reviews for the game praise the visuals and presentation, stating that the lighting effects and textures are a massive improvement over the PS1-era titles in the series. In terms of its review aggregate score, AC2 holds a respectable 78% positive reception across more than a dozen critical reviews, and the title remains one of the more popular games in the initial years of the franchise. Armored Core 2 would end up being one of the best-selling games in the franchise until the release of Armored Core VI in 2023.

Armored Core 2 Premise

Despite being the second official numbered entry in the series, Armored Core 2 is the fourth game in the franchise. As such, it features a slew of improvements over the PS1 titles in the series. As the first game in the franchise for the PS2, Armored Core 2 has vastly improved visuals over its series predecessors and a significantly revamped multiplayer mode. While the game is still a third-person mecha game featuring light simulation elements and shooting action, there’s a greater emphasis on story and characters in comparison to the original trio of AC games on the PS1.

In the years following the events of the first Armored Core, the remnants of humanity began to seek their future on Mars. The red planet is now the burgeoning battlefield for the future of mankind, with several governmental entities and corporations each vying for supremacy. Like in the original game, this power struggle mostly equates to these corporations and governments spending top dollar to hire the best mercenaries available, with the outcomes of battles between Armored Core pilots helping to determine the course of the future. Once again players take on the role of a mercenary within the Ravens group as they navigate the complex conflicts at play.

Competing missions and battles in the Arena awards players with Credits, which they can then use to buy new parts for their Cores. Customization and modification of the modular Cores is once again the cornerstone of the title’s gameplay, with players able to switch out and fine-tune every component of their mecha to suit the situation at hand.

Armored Core 2 Main Characters

Like its predecessor, the story of AC2 puts players in the shoes of a mercenary fighting on behalf of a futuristic mega-corporation. Following the disaster that sends most of humanity to live beneath the Earth’s surface, the corporations vying for control of the world eventually settle on attempting to colonize Mars for mankind’s survival. Of course, this only leads to more conflicts over power and supremacy, with corporations attempting a coup against the de facto government and rogue mercenaries attempting to seize power for themselves in the chaos and confusion. Main characters in Armored Core 2 include:

Corporations

• Balena: The only neutral corporation in the battle for influence over Mars’ colonization, Balena maintains a favorable position by not siding with either governmental entity like its two competitors. Balena offers some of the game’s most advanced technology and works closely with Earth Government to gain prominence.
• Emeraude: While it’s the largest corporation on Earth, Emeraude is only the second largest on Mars. This leads to Emeraude attempting to exert influence over the power struggle on the planet, attempting to sabotage and surpass Zio Matrix.
• Zio Matrix: Zio Matrix is the largest and most powerful corporation on Mars, a position they inhabit after taking the initiative to anticipate mankind’s eventual colonization of the planet. They employ one of the strongest paramilitary groups on the planet to exert their influence.

Mercenary Groups

• Frighteners: One of the most influential and powerful mercenary groups, the Frighteners are the private paramilitary of Earth Government. Their leader is the enigmatic Leos Klein, a powerful “Nine Breaker” and former member of the Ravens.
• Nerves Concord: Nerves Concord are the middle-man between corporations and mercenary groups. They act as an impartial party for hiring and distributing missions to mercenaries.
• Ravens: Returning from the first AC are the Ravens, one of the more prominent mercenary groups on Earth. The player character is again a mercenary in the employ of the Ravens who heads to Mars on a series of missions.

Individuals

• Nell Aulter: The player’s contact and go-between for missions, Nell is a manager within the Nerves Concord. She ends up being one of the few Operators in the series who expresses concern over the player’s well-being.
• Leos Klein: Leos Klein is the primary antagonist of AC2 and a talented Core pilot. Under his command, the Frighteners launched a coup against both Earth Government and Zio Matrix to seize power over Mars for themselves.

Games in the Armored Core Series

FromSoftware’s Armored Core series is perhaps the most widely-known mech action series in gaming, with 6 mainline entries and plenty of spin-offs across multiple generations of hardware. The series would find its beginning as a PlayStation exclusive and first-party title before becoming a multi-platform franchise. The most recent entry, Armored Core VI, is one of the most successful in the franchise yet thanks to developer FromSoftware’s rising prominence in the games industry courtesy of the Dark Souls series. Games in the Armored Core series include:

• Armored Core (PS1, 1997)
• Armored Core: Project Phantasma (PS1, 1997)
• Armored Core: Master of Arena (PS1, 1999)
• Armored Core 2 (PS2, 2000)
• Armored Core 2: Another Age (PS2, 2001)
• Armored Core 3 (PS2, 2002)
• Armored Core 3: Silent Line (PS2, 2003)
• Armored Core: Nexus (PS2, 2004)
• Armored Core: Nine Breaker (PS2, 2004)
• Armored Core: Formula Front (PSP, 2004)
• Armored Core: Last Raven (PS2, 2005)
• Armored Core 4 (PS3, Xbox 360, 2006)
• Armored Core: For Answer (PS3, Xbox 360, 2008)
• Armored Core V (PS3, Xbox 360, 2012)
• Armored Core: Verdict Day (PS3, Xbox 360, 2013)
• Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon (PC, PS4/PS5, Xbox One/Series X/S, 2023)

Armored Core 2 Cheats & Cheat Codes

In addition to plenty of unlockable bonuses, AC2 also happens to support both official native cheat codes and Game Shark codes. Many of the unlockables in AC2 require players to complete objectives in both the single-player missions and the multiplayer Arena mode.

Armored Core 2 Unlockables

Arena Mode Unlockables

There are two bonuses available for use in the Arena mode of AC2, though one requires completing all the single-player missions.

Mission Unlockables

Once players complete all of the missions for a particular corporation, they unlock new parts in the shop.

Human PLUS Enhancements

Similar to the original game in the franchise, players can undergo a series of Human PLUS enhancements in AC2. To activate Human PLUS, players need to be at least 50,000 credits in debt and fail a mission. The game will restart with your pilot receiving the Human PLUS upgrades, with a total of 8 different rounds depending on how many times players fail. Each time the player fails a mission while being 50,000 credits in debt, they will receive another Human PLUS upgrade. You will keep any parts that you currently own for your Core.

Armored Core 2 Cheats

Enter any of the following button combinations during gameplay to activate the cheat.

Infinite Energy

Without pausing the game, press L2+R2+R3 all at the same time. If done correctly, you will see an error message displaying “Limiter Release”. While this is active, you will have infinite energy. Do note, though, that once the effect wears off you will not be able to use any actions that require energy.

Set Camera Angle

During gameplay, press Start+Circle+X. The game will pause. Press Start to resume playing, and the camera will remain at its current viewpoint.

Armored Core 2 Game Shark Codes

Players with a PlayStation 2 and a Game Shark device for the console can utilize any of the following codes. Alternatively, players using an emulator can enter any of these cheat codes into the emulator’s “Cheat” menu.

Armored Core 2 Cheat FAQs

How do you get Human Plus in Armored Core 2?

Similar to the original game in the series, AC2 gives struggling players a fighting edge through the Human PLUS enhancements. The conditions to undergo Human PLUS enhancement are also the same as in AC1. Players must be at least 50,000 credits in debt and fail a mission to receive the first round of Human PLUS enhancements.

How long to beat Armored Core 2?

Most players will take between 10 and 12 hours to beat Armored Core 2. Of course, the amount of time necessary to beat the game heavily depends on player skill and whether or not they need to replay missions. For those hoping to 100% AC2 and do everything in the game, expect to spend roughly 16 hours.

What’s the difference between Armored Core 2 and Armored Core 2: Another Age?

While Another Age acts similarly to other numbered AC games and is an expansion to the original AC2, it also can act as its own standalone title. Another Age contains more than 100 missions in exchange for removing the Arena mode from AC2. As such, Another Age has the most missions of any mainline Armored Core game but is also the only title in the series to not feature multiplayer.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©CheatCC/Matt Karoglou.